Lake Casitas

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Lake Casitas
Satellite photo of the lake and the surrounding area
Location	Ventura County, California
Coordinates	34.3924° N 119.3346° WCoordinates: 34.3924° N 119.3346° W
Primary inflows	Coyote Creek
Basin countries	United States
Water volume	254,000 acre·ft (0.313 km³)

Lake Casitas is a lake in Ventura County, California. It was formed by Casitas Dam on Coyote Creek, two miles (3 km) before it joins the Ventura River. Santa Ana Creek and North Fork Coyote Creek also flow into the lake. The dam was constructed of earth-fill and was completed in 1959. It is 279 feet (85 m) tall and was built by the United States Bureau of Reclamation. The lake has a capacity of 254,000 acre feet (313,000,000 m³). The dam was built as part of the Ventura River Project. The project provides drinking water and water for irrigation. A secondary benefit is flood control.

Lake Casitas from the air, looking southwest

Human contact with the water is prohibited since it is used for drinking water, but fishing, boating and camping are permitted. During the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, Lake Casitas hosted the rowing events.